The Beautiful American

by Jeanne Mackin

From Paris in the 1920s to London after the Blitz, two women find that a secret from their past reverberates through years of joy and sorrow....As recovery from World War II begins, expat American Nora Tours travels from her home in southern France to London in search of her missing sixteen-year-old daughter. There, she unexpectedly meets up with an old acquaintance, famous model-turned-photographer Lee Miller. Neither has emerged from the war unscathed. Nora is racked with the fear that her efforts to survive under the Vichy regime may have cost her daughter’s life. Lee suffers from what she witnessed as a war correspondent photographing the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.Nora and Lee knew each other in the heady days of late 1920s Paris, when Nora was giddy with love for her childhood sweetheart, Lee became the celebrated mistress of the artist Man Ray, and Lee’s magnetic beauty drew them all into the glamorous lives of famous artists and their wealthy patrons. But Lee fails to realize that her friendship with Nora is even older, that it goes back to their days as children in Poughkeepsie, New York, when a devastating trauma marked Lee forever. Will Nora’s reunion with Lee give them a chance to forgive past betrayals…and break years of silence to forge a meaningful connection as women who have shared the best and the worst that life can offer?A novel of freedom and frailty, desire and daring, The Beautiful American portrays the extraordinary relationship between two passionate, unconventional women.Readers Guide Included

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, France, Historical, Book Club, Audiobook

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Jeanne Mackin is the author of The Beautiful American and A Lady of Good Family. In addition to several other novels as well as short fiction and creative nonfiction, she is the author of the Cornell Book of Herbs and Edible Flowers and co-editor of The Norton Book of Love. She lives with her husband in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Glenda L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads ARC win for me ... thank you very much. I have been putting off reading this book because I wasn't sure I would like it ... boy, was I wrong. This is an historical novel about two girls who grew up in the late 1920's, matured to young women in the 1930's, withstood the war and aged into the 1940's. One is the beautiful Lee Miller, model, photographer and war correspondent ... the other a fictional friend who the author created to make Lee Miller come to life in the book. I had never heard of Lee Miller before, but now I have. I have always been interested in this era ... what a time for women to have lived. Glamorous ... well, maybe. Nora and Lee had known each other since childhood and somehow, in spite of being entirely different kept a relationship going for life. I really enjoyed this book.

[Laura Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to give this book 3 stars but I just can't! One of the reviews on the cover of the book compares this book to The Paris Wife. Hah! What a joke!
This book is about the famous (though I have never heard of her) model and photographer Lee Miller, who was also a lover of Man Ray ( who at least I have heard of).
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, least of all Lee. Nora, the narrator, is a doormat and her boyfriend Jamie is just sad and predictable. The only character who comes out well, smelling like a rose, is Pablo Picasso! It was a fast read, thank goodness, but pretty boring.

[Renée Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy of this wonderful novel and I LOVED every word. MacKin takes you into the ex-pat world of many famous and fictional artists during the 20s in Paris and beyond, including the Blitz in London.

Its a beautiful, touching story that's compulsively readable. Filled with rich characters and historical detail, I'm so excited for people to discover this wonderful novel and cannot wait to read more from her.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jeanne Mackin blends a tale as intoxicating as the finest fragrance. Spanning wars both personal and global, A BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN leaves its essence of love, loss, regret, and hope long after the novel concludes." (My Cover Endorsement)

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Full review to come

Interesting read, I just felt like something was missing...

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Beautiful American" is the story of Nora, an American girl that follows her sweetheart overseas to Paris during the Roaring 20s. It's there that she meets up with her childhood friend, Lee Miller. Before reading this book I had heard of Lee Miller but I didn't really know too much about her. Lee Miller is a female photographer and model who worked with the likes of Man Ray and Pablo Picasso. She did a lot of surrealist photography and was a larger-than-life character. She is a secondary character is this book.

What's interesting about this book is that Nora, the main character, is a fictional character but she interacts with many different real-life historical figures. Nora becomes a vehicle to tell the stories of Weymiller and some of man Ray and Pablo Picasso. Nora is an interesting character but the artists are more interesting. I kept finding myself wanting to get back to Lee, who is such a huge figure in this book. She is definitely an interesting second character character and I found my self drawn more to her than to Nora.

The pacing of this book threw me off a little. I know that the author can't include every single detail but the timeline in this book felt a little disjointed. The author starts out with our characters in 1920s Paris, which was a haven for artist and other creative types at the time. I loved reading about the city at this time; it seems very interesting to me. The other big chunk of the book covers after World War II. The author made the decision not to cover very much at all as to what happens to the characters during World War II. The characters are mainly in Paris and other areas around France so conceivably the war would've affected them. However, we never really see what happens to them. It made me feel like I was missing a big chunk of understanding the characters a little bit more as they went through such a big event like World War II. That definitely took me out of the book a little bit.

Overall, the writing of the book kept me entertained and I really did love learning more about Lee Miller. I did wish that the narrative was a little bit more evenly spread between the big events of the book. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated Review: I have read several reviews that expressed the opinion that Nora was a doormat and Lee was a much more interesting character. It is sad to me that the author's intentions for Nora have been lost on so many. I personally loved that the author created the character Nora (as well as Jaime) as a catalyst for these strong famous characters such as Lee Miller, Man Ray, and Pablo Picasso. First of all, it makes these celebrities feel more tangible, like they are a "friend of a friend". Second of all, Nora is by definition a catalyst; she is tossed into this crazy world of celebrity artists and comes out unchanged, still remaining herself, and in my opinion that is the true nature of a heroine. She knows what she wants, she even knows what is going on around her but she doesn't allow these intense characters to infiltrate her peace of mind. So I stand by my 5 star review. Things you get with this book: romance, war, betrayal, art, friendship, and motherhood.

Original review: I loved this book. I thought Nora was such an identifiable and relatable heroine. This novels isn't just historical fiction, it's a lesson on love and forgiveness, and what those truly selfless acts entail.

[msleighm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up

I read this book in one day. It was like a good meal that should be filling but leaves you hungry. The story and the characters have a great skeleton; there is no meat on the bone. Overnight I pondered how it could have been made richer, more filling. The writing isn't bad, though there were times it felt like English wasn't the authors first language, I didn't hate it (from the bio she teaches creative writing at a US college). This morning I realized the kind of format that would have improved this story for me. Recently, I read Citizen Washington by William Martin. The story is told by many voices in each of their own point of view; that would have worked well for this story. Or the use of letters and diaries. The first person throughout just didn't make me love it, like I could have.

[Kristy Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nora runs into Lee Miller in the door of Harrods while she is searching for her missing 16 year old daughter after WWII, and is invited to Lee's house for a weekend party. With that set as the frame we flash back to their childhoods, when Nora, the gardener's daughter, was playmate to the wild young heiress Elizabeth Miller. The story progresses along Nora's story line, her running away to London and Paris with her boyfriend after high school, and their dreams of being artists. But I don't care. Nora is a rather pathetic character, her boyfriend is insincere, and Lee, when she is in the story, is not likeable.
I wanted to like this book, but I just don't care. And life is too short to read mediocre books.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel of freedom and frailty, desire and daring, The Beautiful American portrays the extraordinary relationship between two passionate, unconventional women.

These words copied from the book's summary say it all for me. I loved this book and really got into the characters. Plus the words used to describe relationships and events were truly beautiful.

If you are a romantic, this book is truly worth the read.

[Laura Kay Bolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://anovelreview.blogspot.com/2014...

An absolutely beautiful novel. The novel begins with Nora looking all over Paris for her daughter. We don't know how old she is or the situation surrounding her disappearance. Only that Nora is looking at places she believes her daughter, Dahlia, would search out. While looking for her daughter, Nora runs into her old friend Lee. There are a few 'flashbacks', but when Nora goes off with Lee, the author tells us Nora's story up until current day.

The novel isn't one where there is a lot of action. It's a story, a recounting of time gone by. Beautifully written. I found myself drawn into this world (pre WWII) in Paris, the artists. The narrator (Nora) seems enthralled by her friend Lee. Lee is beautiful, sexual, powerful and controlling. Things Nora is not. I found out, while reading this Lee Miller was indeed an actual person. I understood Nora's fascination with Lee. On one hand she is beautiful and manipulative, but there is a vulnerability to her, a softness that really drew me in. I wanted to dislike her, yet I couldn't.

Both woman live in Europe during WWII, having very different experiences. It changes them. It grows them. Moments where I had to put the novel down at the reality of war...the ugliness. MacKin shows not only the reality and pain, but the beauty of survival during the era. Emotional.
The Beautiful American is captivating to say the least. Highly recommending.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written story of reflection of days gone by. We enter the carefree, bohemian artists life pre WWII in vibrant, chic Paris. Two women, contrasting characters in personality and lifestyle yet bound by tragedy. Polar opposites yet yearning to mirror the other, envious, loathed, betrayed, these two women have an attraction and an unspoken past and secret.

Lee is manipulative, self absorbed, considering her childhood trauma you understand her questionable ways. You can't help feeling for her, wounded deeply, there is a strong vulnerability about her allowing forgiveness of her affronts. Nora, incredibly strong, independent, courageous, envious to some degree but cautious and intelligent of the fractured woman Lee. You feel for both women but you are pulled in by Lee, she needs a little more of everything unlike Nora who is efficient in all ways. I kept asking myself, IF Lee hadn't experienced her trauma what would she have been like given her unmistakable beauty, sadly we'll never know the 'what if' only the 'what was'.

A story with differing women and their quasi parallel stories and how they evolved, survived the ugliness of war and tragedy. A dichotomy displaying the brutality of war and small joys post war.

MacKin dives deep in the emotional depth of both characters and WWII. A captivating story of two fascinating women, surviving challenges. A lovely story.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written entertaining novel about a time period that I've always found so romantic (between WWI and WWII). The main character is fictional, but she is friends with the real life Lee Miller. I knew nothing about Lee prior to this book, but am captivated by her feminist free spirit. Becoming a war correspondent is tough enough for women today, let alone 60+ years ago.

Mackin does a good job presenting this woman outside of her own time, but essentially this is just an interesting story. The large events are true enough (Lee was friends with Picasso and Man Ray and married to Roland Penrose and she did take pics in Hitler's tub), but the details of Nora's life are just WWII drama/novel.

It reads well though and introduced me to yet another early female leader. There weren't many great quotes or insightful moments, but I did like: "Power. Her power over men--and she had tremendous power--was part of her revenge for what had happened to her when she was seven."
I assume that the childhood rape was made up and I wasn't entirely sure that Mackin's invention to explain Lee's promiscuity was completely in line with her otherwise presentation of Lee as an independent woman.

[Stephen Poleskie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This newest novel The Beautiful American from Jeanne Mackin is a breathtaking look at art and politics in the years leading up to World War II. Based on the life of the beautiful Lee Miller, the model turned photographer, it follows the friendship between Lee and Nora, a childhood friend who meets up with her again in the dizzying Paris of the 30's and 40's. Lee lived bravely, even recklessly, matching the wild surrealists in their search for art and pleasure and eventually making the leap from mistress and model to artist in her own right. Lee Miller photographed battles and, at the closing of the war, the liberation of the concentration camps. The novel is beautifully written, carefully researched, a can't-put-it-down-read. I recommend it highly.

[Grace Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book in all honesty, is a good solid three. I’d like to give it four, but the middle dragged. It was exciting, shocking, and telling toward the end, but there is one thing about the authors characters that bug me. Who are they? Why are they surrounded by characters like Lee Miller, Chanel, and Picasso? Leaders of the resistance? Leaders of the Nazi party? In an effort to tell both sides, The author has mains with little to no backbones, in multiple books that give descriptive details in sensory topics, emotions, and authors, but leaves me with a hard time envisioning images of who they are, however they aren’t hero’s. They don’t see the error in being complicit.

[Stacei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was such a beautiful written book. That may sound cliche but I can’t describe it any other way. I read it and listened on audio. Eloquent narration. Historical interesting and intertwined nicely. I wrote down many topics for research. I read a lot of historical books and some of the history brought up made we want to know more. I wanted to delve into all the lives of all mentioned in book. While reading it was almost like you were there observing the lives of Lee, Nora, Man and Jamie. I loved how Picasso came in and out. Friendships regardless how complicated stay, come and go. How you handle them is what is important. There are some great quotes for take aways. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This book covers the same time frame as many others do. The novel moves back and forth between Poughkeepsie, NY, Paris, Grasse, France. Pre WWI through post WWII. We meet Pablo Picasso, Lee Miller, Ray Man and others of the between the wars Paris expat scene. Some aspects of the work are entertaining but there are plot developments that to me did not occur naturally. The author attempted to add some intellectual weight to the work but I did not find it successful. International, historical novel, chick lit is how I would describe this work.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing!

[themothershipp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth between “meh” and “this is good.” The first half seemed to really drag out but I can see how it was pertinent to the main character’s back story and who she became.

[Lori Gronewold · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last few chapters were too long.

[Beverly Hales Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course this is my favorite genre- historical fiction in the WW2 era- but I loved learning more about the surrealists living in Paris- about Paris, about photography and art and especially the references to perfumes and the noses and notes that create the fragrance.

[Lianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a paperback copy of this novel from a giveaway contest hosted by France Book Tours . This review in its entirety was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/201...

Suffice to say the opening scene really grabbed my attention and left me curious to know more about Nora and Lee, what brought them into each other’s social cirlces, and what drove them apart. I really felt for Nora and everything that happened to her throughout this novel. She’s surrounded by artists embroiled in varying degrees of self-importance/self-indulgence/artistic angst/submerged in their craft but she's very reliable, very solid, and keeps the other characters grounded. She’s also strong too, from her mother’s treatment of her growing up, Jamie’s actions, Lee’s actions, the Second World War. Despite of everything, she still loves France and she still perseveres.

Lee is just as complex a character, surviving a childhood trauma and emerging a celebrated photographer. It can easy to write her off as careless and living in the moment, for a good time, but there’s so much more to her character that Nora catches glimpses of. She’s such a contrast to Nora and yet you can see why their relationship worked the way it did.

I love the Paris setting, that sense of possibility and all of the art that surrounded Nora’s life during her time there and in their company. I loved her scenes with Pablo Picasso. I was honestly surprised at how much the book looked in on Nora’s life during the war and surviving in southern France, I thought there would’ve been a time jump to the post-war period and running into Lee. Nonetheless it was interesting, and presents the complexity that was living during war and immediately after the war with the way people behaved, good and bad.

In the end I really enjoyed reading The Beautiful American. Readers of historical fiction will want to check out this novel!

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a Goodreads giveaway winner and I'm very grateful that I won. This is a beautifully written book about Nora Tours and her journey from a young girl in Poughkeepsie, NY to Paris and then to Grasse, France. The book starts with Nora searching for her 16-year-old daughter Dahlia who has disappeared from Grasse right after WWII ending. Nora thinks Dahlia will retrace her own footsteps of her life in Paris and London. She soon meets her friend Lee Miller, who she has known since they were a little girl and goes to Lee's farm outside of London. Then the flashback starts about Nora's life and how she got to this point.

I found this book so well written I felt like I was going back into time and what it was like to be an American in Paris in the 1920s-30s. She goes to Paris with her high school boyfriend Jaime and soon bumps into Lee. That starts a relationship where Nora meets people like Picasso. Lee is a brash woman who really doesn't seem like she cares about anyone's feelings and does what makes her happy or at least helps her forget what happened to her when she was a child. The book takes us through a small sampling of what it was like to be in a small French Village during WWII.

I did not know that Lee Miller was a real person until I read other reviews and so I did a little research. This book fascinates me even more that a lot of the characters in the book are real people. Paris during WWII is so fascinating to me and I enjoy different angles than just what happened to the soldiers and the Jews. I like reading all different views so I can get more of a rounded feel to that dark time in history. If you like historical fiction and enjoy this era, then I highly recommend this book. I'm so glad I got a chance to read it and I will be sharing it with my family and friends.

[Laini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I liked the writing (the descriptions are lovely, and in that area it is very much like The Paris Wife-- scenes of Paris in the 1920s, doormat narrator...), there were so many things about this that irked me.

#1-- Narrator. Doormat.
If I found out my long-time boyfriend/lover was in bed with Lee Miller, the first words out of my mouth would have been "Do you KNOW she's got the clap?! You ASSHOLE!" And then I would have begun worrying if he'd given it to me, since their affair had been going on several months. Also- there are complications to babies that can occur with gonorrhea - being born deaf, or blind, or any number of other things. None of that was ever mentioned.

#2-- Jamie couldn't figure out that daughter was his? Considering her age, and resemblance? Yeah, not buying that.

#3-- At first, I thought that Nora had been given some kind of clue that her daughter had headed for London, but then when we got to the part of the book where a neighbor had told her the godparents had left for NORMANDY, I was like, "wha?" So what was she doing looking for her daughter in LONDON? PARIS I could maybe understand, being the same country, and the place everyone naturally heads in France, but not London. It seemed like a wild, contrived goose chase so that she would meet up with Lee. Later on she did mention that she thought Dahlia was going to the various places she'd mentioned she'd gone with Jamie, but where would her daughter have gotten the money to travel there? I was shaking my head.

The writing is lovely, and I do love reading anything about Paris in the '20s in all its forms, but there were some convenient plot devices at play here.

[Caroline Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Beautiful American" tells the story of Lee Miller, a 20th century model and photographer who became one of the well known faces of the Surrealist movement and the first female war correspondent during World War II.

Told from the perspective of fictional character Nora Tours, the novel begins in Poughkeepsie, New York were both girls play together as children. They couldn't be more different though: Lee is the pampered daughter of the local factory owner while Nora is the gardener's daughter. A brutal crime tears the girls a part and they descend down different paths until reuniting in the heady café culture of 1930s Paris. There they will become confidantes, if not friends, but Nora eventually learns how callous and cruel Lee can really be.

"The Beautiful American" is a well paced, atmospheric novel. It is a wonderful departure from the usual 1920s set "Lost Generation" themed novel. While Lee has many drawbacks, she as portrayed as a victim who takes responsibility for her life and lives by her own rules. She is a 1940s Scarlett O'Hara to some extent, and one must lend her respect for striking out on her own. Nora is a lovely narrator who deep down, never gives up hope even when betrayal and tragedy visit her. She is sharp witted and keen to learn through her life experiences; she is also easy to sympathize with though she never stops to feel sorry for herself.

I short, "The Beautiful American" is a brilliantly drawn novel with fantastic characters (both real and fictional) that examines the fragility of human bonds in the face of art, love, and war.

[Suzanne Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this book during The Beautiful American blog tour, and once I began reading, I was immediately immersed in the setting and story. As a bit of background, let me just tell you I'm not an expert on famous artists and I rarely read biographies of artists. In fact, I had never heard of Lee Miller, the photographer central to this story. While this book is not a biography of Picasso, or Man Ray or Lee Miller, one comes away with the feeling of intimate knowledge of their motivations and relationships.

While in Paris, the three artists spend time together and in the same circle of close friends. The story is told from the viewpoint of Nora, a woman whose lover works with Man Ray. Nora also knew Lee Miller during their childhood days in Poughkeepsie, but if Lee remembers Nora, she doesn't reveal it during the course of the Paris events.

In a tale of lush excess and extravagant artistry, the author weaves a tale of relationships, hopes, and dreams. World War II brings these dreams to a standstill, and after the war, the characters must pick up the pieces of their lives. But like a vase that has been broken, the cracks remain, and they realize that life does not always follow the plans we craft in our youth.

This is a remarkable story, well told, and one I would recommend to anyone who loves a good story about relationships and friendships.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beautiful American is an elegantly written novel that explores the lives of two fascinating women whose paths' cross several times between childhood and middle-age. Their experiences will inspire you, make you smile, and leave you with a heavy heart. It's a journey not to be missed.

Nora is an American living abroad in France but when her sixteen-year-old daughter turns up missing, Nora's search takes her to London. As her search continues where she runs into her old friend, Lee Miller. Lee invites Nora to dinner and Nora's recollection of the past begins. Much of what Nora remembers, Lee has suppressed. Will their chance meeting force them to face the alarming experiences of the past in order to find forgiveness?

I am a fan of historical fiction and thoroughly enjoyed the colorful characters like Man Ray, Pablo Picasso as well as Lee Miller, whom I wasn't aware was a real person until later in the story. Nora is also a dynamic character, although fictional, and her relationship with Lee makes the story flourish. The Beautiful American is well penned and the historical research is accurate, adding to the story's credibility. I also admire how the novel is able to stimulate so many emotions as the characters examine their lives and come to terms with their past.

I highly recommend picking up a copy.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very much looking forward to reading this book but when I reached the end all I could think was, "Huh. That's it?" As a previous reviewer noted, this book was compared to The Paris Wife, which I enjoyed immensely, but I can't say I agree with that testament.

The Beautiful American's narrator, Nora, is a small town girl who as a child is sent to play with the wealthy daughter of a factory owner- LiLi Miller. Their friendship is tenuous at best and falls apart the day it is discovered that LiLi has been raped at the tender age of 7.

The story then drifts through Nora's budding romance with Jamie, a local boy who has dreams of becoming a photographer. The two pick up and move first to New York, then London, and finally settle in Paris where they reconnect with LiLi, now Lee who has taken up with Man Ray.

In general, the premise for this book could have been dynamite. Paris before the war; the intrigue of the art world. Unfortunately it fell flat with prose that didn't quite flow and characters that were flat at best. I had a difficult time staying with this book and almost put it down a few times, something I rarely do with a book.

Overall, this novel was a quick read but left me wishing there had been just a bit more.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the book. Recommend to anyone who loves Paris and learn more about French history.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beautiful American is the story of a real person in a fictional novel. The Beautiful American is Lee Miller, an American surrealist photographer who lived in Paris before World War II, then the U.S., then England. The story is told from the point of view of American Nora Tours, who is a fictional character. Nora meets Lee when they are children in Poughkeepsie, New York, and they both end up in Paris.

I was initially concerned when I realized Lee Miller was a real person in a fictional story, but MacKin does a good job of making sure the parts about Lee are based on her real life. It's a tough act, and she does it well, weaving the fictional story of Nora and her life with the story of Lee and hers. Nora also interacts with other historical figures like Man Ray and Pablo Picasso.

There was a lot of time spent with the two women and their lovers in Paris--lots of drinking, drugs, parties, on and on. That part could have been shortened considerably. Nora was an interesting character in her own right, and the time after Paris, when she lived in France during World War II, was the best part of the book.